Folding crate.



y PATENTBDFEB. 24, 1903. J. H. GRAY.V

FOLDING CRATE.

APPLICATION FILVED APR. 22, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. GRAY, OF ST. ALBANS, WEST VIRGINIA.

FOLDING CRATE.

SPECIFICATIN forming part of Letters Patent No. l721,296, dated February 24, 1903.

Application iiled April 22, 1902.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that LJAMES H.GRAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Albans, in the county of Kanawha and State of West Virginia, have invented a new and useful Folding Crate, of which the following is a speciication.

This invention relates to shipping crates or boxes adapted to be folded, so thattheparts will lie compactly one upon the other'when not in use and the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, as hereinafter shown and described, and specifically pointed out Vin the claims.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of thedevice partially folded. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device wholly folded or collapsed, ready for the return shipment. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the device arranged as a crate or casing. Fig. 4isa detail view with the cover raised. 1

In this device is comprised a casing or box composed of the bottom 10, top 11, ends 12 13, back 14, and front 15. The front 15 is hinged, as at 16 16, to the bottom 10 von one side, and the back 14 is likewise hinged,

as at 17 17, to theA other side of the bottom. The ends 12 and 13 are hinged` to the ends of the bottom 10, as at 18 18a, respectively, as shown, and adapted to fold inward when the device is collapsed, as indicated at the right of Fig. l. .The cover 11 is connected to the back 14 by slotted plates 19 19a, the plates engaging pins 19" 19c 19d 19e in the cover 11 and back 14, respectively, as shown, the pins having heads, so that the plates will not escape from the pins when the device is operated. Each of the slots in the plates 19 19a is provided with a lateral cavity 19t 19g, adapted to engage the pins when the crate is arranged for use, as shown in Fig. 3. The hinges 16 16fL are set to cause the lower edge of the front 15 to rest upon'the bottom 10, as shown in Figs. land 2, while the hinges 17 and 17a are set to permit the lower edge of the back 14 to fold -up in front of the rear edge of the bottom 10, as indicated. VThe ends 12 and 13 are each provided with a sliding bolt (represented at 20) adapted to respectively engage apertures 21 in the front 15. One of the bolts only is shown; but it will be underserai No. 104,163. N0 modem stood that each end will be provided with one of the bolts, the bolts being perforated at their outer ends and adapted to receive collets or holding-pins 22 when the device is arranged for use as a crate or box, as indicated `in'Fig.'3. -When thus constructed, the device is capable of beingv folded down or collapsed, as in Fig. 2, with all the parts lying one-.upon the other and occupying only as much space as the area of the bottom 10 or top 111 andas thick as :live thicknesses of the material composing the walls of the device. The slotted plates 19 19a vpermit a sufficient iiexibility between the cover 11 and the other part-s to permit the cover to assume its position upon the folded ends 12 and 13 when the device is collapsed, as shown in Fig. 2, while the shorter transverse slots or recesses 19f 19g are adapted to engage the 'pins 19b 19d when the device is arranged for use, as shown in Fig.'3. The cover 11 will preferably be pro- Yvided with a ban-d or border 23,depending beneath its .edges and adapted to embrace the adjacent edges of the members 12, 13, 14, and

415 when the device is arranged for use, as

shown in Fig. 3, to afford an additional support to the device and also to increase its security. `By this simple means a crate or casing is produced'whicli is as strong as an ordinary box or crate secured rigidly at the corners, while at the same time capable of being readily collapsed or knocked down when not-in use or when it is to be returned to the shipper.

While the device herein illustrated shows a box having closed sides, it will of course be understood that the invention is equally applicable to an open or slatted crate or any other speciicstrncture and embodying any suitable proportions and material and that the device may be employed for any desirable purpose. The hinges may be extended in the form of straps, or additional straps may be supplied to strengthen the parts. 'Hooks and staples 24 may be attached, as shown, to hold the parts when collapsed.

Having thus described my invention, what l claimis- 1. In a folding crate, the combination of the bottom member, the front and back members hinged to the edges of said bottom member by inside and outside hinges respectively per- IOO mitting them to fold against opposite sides of said bottom, the end members connected with the back member by inside hinges permitting them to fold iiat against said back member upon the side opposite to the bottom member, the top member, and slotted hinge-plates connecting said top member with pins projecting from the ends of the back member near the upper edge of the same, substantially as set forth.

2. In a folding crate, the combination with the back memberhaving headed pins projecting from the ends thereof nearits upper edge, of the top member having a surrounding JAMES H. GRAY.

Witnesses:

I. L. JOHNSON, GEORGE' WEIMER. 

